Okay...I get you now. But do you think the players would blame the coach right off for a bad patch of 2 or 3 games? I think that might be a player-specific kind of thing. Like one sort of player might think "I'm only playing so badly now because the coach doesn't understand me...he's stifling what I want to do out there"...while another would say, "I'm not playing up to my potential so it's time to dig deep and work harder". Maybe THAT'S the difference between the leaders and the passengers on this team. I'm pretty sure that there are some guys on this team that are p!ssed off and want to turn things around while others are whining about how misunderstood they are.

The coach is the head cheerleader! It is the job of the coach to get the boys fired up before the game, during the game, and yes, after the game. He has to bring intensity to practice, to the locker room, and behind the bench. He should be well spoken and speak with fire from his belly. I am sorry but Claude is not that coach. He can not get these boys fired up for the first period nor can he round the troops for a good come back. Another issue that I have is Claude hiding his true talents in Savy and Bergie. First two lines should not include the likes of Recci, Ryder, or a Wheeler. Savy is one of the best players out there and he has to deal with a rookie and Ryder? C'mon! Bergie is a fantastic talent but he continues to set up Wheeler who fails! If Claude thinks his job is in trouble then now is the time to shake the lines up and make 2 STRONG lines, not 4 okay lines! Oh yea, when you are down by 2 goals, 4 minues left to play, face off in the offensive end, why is the 4th line always out there???

Yes, Claude has to go. He arguably should have been fired after the Flyers debacle last year, if only b/c no coach should be allowed to remain after his team can't close out a 3-0 series lead.

But the fact remains that firing CJ and bringing in O'Reilly, Milbury, Poulin, Cam, or even Scott Freaking Bowman isn't going to change the fundamental fact that the players on this team just aren't all that good. There are holes and weaknesses everywhere--from the lack of defenseman who can skate well and provide offense to the thin offensive talent up front, to the fact that the star-in-waiting is only 19 and needs way more time to develop to the fact that their best play-maker is still essentially going thru training camp after suffering a major brain injury.

Does anyone here SERIOUSLY and TRULY believe that THIS Bruins team could go deep in the playoffs when they get shut out by the likes of Carolina and Anaheim? When they're 28th in the league in shots allowed on net? When Ryder and Paille and Wheeler are part of your "offensive" attack?

let's get real, OK? CJ is not the coach they need...but they ALSO need a roster overhaul to be able to compete for a Cup. It's not worth arguing about which is more important--they BOTH are essential.

"Ryder benching himself would be hilarious." Agreed. Okay...I get you now. But do you think the players would blame the coach right off for a bad patch of 2 or 3 games? I think that might be a player-specific kind of thing. Like one sort of player might think "I'm only playing so badly now because the coach doesn't understand me...he's stifling what I want to do out there"...while another would say, "I'm not playing up to my potential so it's time to dig deep and work harder". Maybe THAT'S the difference between the leaders and the passengers on this team. I'm pretty sure that there are some guys on this team that are p!ssed off and want to turn things around while others are whining about how misunderstood they are. Posted by twentyfour

I don't think it is all of them. But if things get so bad that a coaching change seems the only solution, it suggests that the attitude of the non-angry players is winning over the angry players. Why isn't it happening the other way around? Maybe we will see (well, not literally) one of those players-only closed meetings soon.

In Response to Re: **CAM** Julien Has To Go : I don't think it is all of them. But if things get so bad that a coaching change seems the only solution, it suggests that the attitude of the non-angry players is winning over the angry players. Why isn't it happening the other way around? Maybe we will see (well, not literally) one of those players-only closed meetings soon. If anything, you'd think Recchi would scream at everyone.Posted by DrCC

Unfortunately, there's not much that the angry players can do if the passengers continue to float along. I mean, Ryder won't bench himself...but it's not like Recchi can bench him either. That could very well be the cancer in the locker room - an Us and Them mentality. Those that may hate Claude's system, but are doing their best to stick to it and those that hate his system and have checked out. Either way, something has to give and I don't expect it to be a wholesale dumping of the core of this team.

As for whether or not I believe that THIS team can do it? I really do. There's some serious talent here, guys. It's just being misused.

Agreed. The talent is almost there when healthy. Are they good enough to go far in the playoffs? 100% yes considering the teams that went far last year and the struggles they had throughout the year. Still need another top 4 dman though as Seids has taken a big step back. After Chara and Boychuk (and even he has been so so this year), the D are below average. Kampfer isn't really much different that Hunwick (both don't belong in the NHL on a contending team). Stuart and Ference should be your bottom pairing, not counted on to play top 4 minutes. McQuaid should be #7 or inserted for some toughness or injury. He's doing fine job considering his talent level but eventually...talent will prevail and we just don't have enough of it on our backend. For the most part this team seems to struggle to come out of their end consistently and when they do, it is usually a chip out to the other team or a long pass with no hope of actual puck possession. If by chance a pass is made tape to tape to a forward, he usually comes out by himself or with only 1 other forward. 1 on 3's or 2 on 3's don't lead to much.

This whole thing is NOT Claude's fault though he will HAVE to be the fall guy because he's the only one you can really do anything about at this point.

To those that say Claude isn't motiviating the team has not read or seen his after the game press confrence which was a pretty scathing call out of the Bruins play.

"I'm disappointed," said Julien. "I'm really disappointed in our effort tonight and it's not something that we should be proud of and we should be willing to try and redeem ourselves next game and find some emotion and more intensity in our game.

"We should have been emotionally involved," added Julien. "We should have been excited about playing this game tonight. We should have been excited. The intention of waking up tomorrow morning or leaving tonight in third place that should have been exciting enough, and unfortunately, that didn't happen."

"We need to get more physical," said Julien. "That's part of the emotion. You play with some emotion, you go in there and finish your checks. Tonight, we had guys playing at the end of your sticks, and when you're battling to move up five spots, that's unacceptable."

Claude knows the team needs to get physical, he just does not have the mojo to motivate the room like he use to in 2008-2009. Like Bourdreau and Julien are dealing with identical problems --- lack of confidence in the team.

I know everyone is watching the game did you hear that Idiot Julien on the Versus interview during the 1st. period. Coach the team is hasnt been playing well, what are your thoughts on this period so far its (Average) what kind of response is that he is a Moron. He is sucking the life out of the Bruins, Cam i know your reading these post. Please all i want for Xmas is a new coach, ive heard your thinking of Scott Gordon or Dave Poulin, they would both be better than this Mope Claude the fraud.Posted by pjstock

Blah, blah, blah...Nash if you only knew the difference between a COACH and a GM your comments would be credible...you are the rediculous one...let's turn into the Ice Capades...No touching in hockey...OMG, we don't want anyone to get hurt..can't have any passion...oh no, people would think we are NEANDERTHALS...have you ever even played this sport? I think Curling is looking for some fans...go there...never mind, come to think of it, they are also passionate. How about knitting? Just keep plastic cover on the end of the needles so no one gets hurt...meathead.Doc

You people are sad with your Milbury....O'Reilly dreams...this is 2010! Milbury built the Islanders...nice job! Yeah they need a new coach but they need a new GM and President and Owner first! This organization has been rehashing the 1970's "Big Bad Bruins" bs for 40 years now and you people keep buying it!!!Posted by nash99

i fully agree with you tim thomas-god....i would love to see every one of them have to pay back their millions....bunch of overpaid lazy atheletes....sickning but yeah the coach has to always pay the price...wake the hell up neely or is he just a puppet.....gutless..heartless...hope the hell if a new coach comes in those days off after crapping another game turns into early morning workouts for these fat cats....im pissed off ..man 50 some years and this is the most pathetic bunch of bruins ive ever seen

The problems with this team starts really at the top with the owner. A championship team is not an option for the owner (costs too much from the bottom line!) Cam Neely is a plus for the team. However, Peter charelli is the next problem. He is at best an average general manager and at worst a poor one. (we could have had the best gm on the market at the time but, it cost too much from the bottom line for the owner. He still is on a learning curve, which is his main problem. He is the one that needs to go, not Julien. Julien dosn't sign the players, the gm does. The team isn't that good, bottom line. Harry Sinden when gm used the coach firing as a scapegoat for a team that wasn't very good. Lets not use Julien as a scapegoat again!

www.boston.com/community/persona.html?UID=f98d7bda56a0d88a999101148b9f5157&plckUserId=f98d7bda56a0d88a999101148b9f5157 " /> TimThomas-god Posts: 827 First: 9/12/2009 Last: 12/20/2010 JYaso you're an idiot. Matt Hunwick's stats with the Avalanche: 10 GP, 0 G, 1 A, -4 Yeah, that move to Colorado did him a lot of good Yeah, I am an idiot-- Stats don't mean didly squat. Victories mean a whole bunch and last time I looked the AVS have won 6 straight games with a ton of injuries to key players. But their Coach does not make excuses and actually rallies the team. Keep fooling yourself to thinking you know anything about this team and Hockey.Posted by JYaso

so wins are worth more than stats when regarding other teams but Boston's win/loss record is skewed because of stats........

Hello Bruins fans The problems with this team starts really at the top with the owner. A championship team is not an option for the owner (costs too much from the bottom line!) Cam Neely is a plus for the team. However, Peter charelli is the next problem. He is at best an average general manager and at worst a poor one. (we could have had the best gm on the market at the time but, it cost too much from the bottom line for the owner. He still is on a learning curve, which is his main problem. He is the one that needs to go, not Julien. Julien dosn't sign the players, the gm does. The team isn't that good, bottom line. Harry Sinden when gm used the coach firing as a scapegoat for a team that wasn't very good. Lets not use Julien as a scapegoat again!Posted by highsprings

Jacobs can't spend more than he is.How is it his fault if the team dosen't win?

Time to change those individuals tasked with executing the business model at the operational level. The team should be run like a business in the front office (not just balancing a checkbook) and on the ice.

Last game he did more of what is expected of a coach and did not roll his 4 lines and played the 4th line as a 4th line, first time ever they all played between 7-8 mins.

Pregame talks was about getting the PP going as Ana was one of most penalized teams. Krej gets a shocking, laughable tender interference pen on 1st shift and it was 10 mins later before they got back going and they were down 1-0. They get 2 PP in second and almost give up a SHG on 1st PP and then do on the 2nd PP and are down 3-0. Coaching is problem on PP but the players need to step up.

Ryder is not the prob, having Recc sit him is laughable as they were both on for the SHG and Rec played 3 shifts more with no better results.

Ols's post shows a few good things, they generated over 80 shots at Hiller and he played TT like and TT was not unflappable but not the cause for the blame either. From 2 shots to 18 in both 2nd and third is a great improvement and Hiller had a few great saves that were not all from perimeter as suggested. Another note is that if Randy Carlisle is a good coached D with 111 goals against, then Cj is brilliant...

We have the nucleus of a good if not better than good team and come playoffs, this should show. Sav's play is getting better even though the points aren't there yet, when he gets going look to see an increase in production of Seg and Ryd and then there will be 3 solid lines. Wheel is playing better, Rec needs a Christmas break, but overall the team is far better than last year and with some breaks the PP will get going. We have a far better than average D that everyone seems to think we have and also the best G tandem in the league. It is not all darkness out there.

Back to Cj, can his as$, BUT not before it is well thought out.

We need a coach that respects the D and G that we have and to keep some of that system, without him being a former D-man in the NHL. He needs to have his knowledge on how to play stars and rookies and to get their creative juices going and to get goals on PP while keeping a strong D. We have the talent to win games but they are not ready or able to win 5-4 shootouts, they need to be able to win the 3-2 games though, but scoring is the key. Right now they are 3rd last of the 16 teams in the playoffs in scoring.

I think we hired a coach to run the PP, how is that working, a defensive specialist, go figure.

Cj succs as coach in many ways but keep him as the D guy and hire a guy to run an O and def not Milb.

You people are sad with your Milbury....O'Reilly dreams...this is 2010! Milbury built the Islanders...nice job! Yeah they need a new coach but they need a new GM and President and Owner first! This organization has been rehashing the 1970's "Big Bad Bruins" bs for 40 years now and you people keep buying it!!!Posted by nash99

Yeah, you are right. They need an owner willing to spend to the cap every year!!! Oh, wait....

There's nothing wrong with the Bruins' product on the ice, today, that cannot be laid at the feet of the coach. No accountability, heart, toughness.

In Response to Re: **CAM** Julien Has To Go : Yeah, you are right. They need an owner willing to spend to the cap every year!!! Oh, wait.... There's nothing wrong with the Bruins' product on the ice, today, that cannot be laid at the feet of the coach. No accountability, heart, toughness.Posted by SoxFanInIL

Its The Coach, He has no heart, and the team is following in his footsteps

I think its absolutely possible that you are right and its true the team is not as good as we think it is, that PC is responsible for horrific, throttling contracts like Ryder/Thomas/Ference/even Paille, causing them to have to give away players like Sturm... IN ADDITION to the fact that Claude has lost this team. Ever been in a college/pro locker room for an extended period of time? When a coach loses his team, this is what it looks like.

I would also argue that its possible that these players look even worse because they simply cannot/are not functioning in this system any more. The defense first junk Claude puts out there might be beneficial to the goalies' stats, but they simply cannot play offense. Look at how Philly improved overnight last year with a simple coaching change to an up-tempo, aggressive system. I would rather see the B's crash the net and take 35 threatening shots and give up a few more scoring chances than what we see now... even when the Bs get 45 shots they are weak one-and-done no threats that any pro goalie would look good against. The B's dont give up a lot of scoring opportunities, but its not translating into wins.

I loved, loved, loved CJ when he came here. Took a bunch of kids, gave them a system and pushed them into the playoffs. Always classy, a stand up guy. However, his system does not work for this team any more, he's lost the room and his expiration date is past due. This team cannot take the next step with this coach.